Expect to be treated as Jesus Was Treated

24“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

26“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.  (Matthew 10:24-26)

Thoughts: Jesus was training his followers and telling them what to expect.  They are to expect to be treated as Jesus was treated.  If they called the loving and good Jesus the devil (Beelzebul), will they not call his followers that too?
     But then Jesus says something... "So do not be afraid of them."  Why is the "so" there?  The conjunction "oun" means "so" or "therefore" or "then."  Jesus is reminding them that their evil will come out in the end.  If they call good evil it will be known in the end.  Most people would agree that those who crucified Jesus made a horrendous mistake or failure.  looking back it is revealed.  So those who persecute Christians will also be shown to be wrong.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to believe in your goodness and the goodness of your cause and following you.  

Jesus on the Persecution of His Followers

21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:21-23)

Thoughts: Jesus shifts gear from talking about sending and people welcoming them to talking about a dark picture of his followers being persecuted.  He especially speaks of what it will be like right before He comes back to earth in power for the final act of salvation.  Jesus was not naive nor was he trying to hide the small print side affects of sharing the faith and missionary work.  Not everyone says "yes" to Christ.  Some will betray Christians to death- even relatives.  While ideally the family will follow Christ, not all will.  We should not give up the faith if some of our loved ones give up on Christ.
     The Bible does seem to indicate that toward the end of history there is a time of great tribulation when Christians are persecuted more than normal.  In that time it seems like everyone hates those who believe- which in some ways makes no sense.  Yet today ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haraam and others are persecuting people just for being Christian.  In 1992 the US went out of its way to ease starvation in Somalia yet within months the very people saved from starvation attacked the Americans who helped them.   It is a rebellious thing.  Jesus is saying that God will not allow every refuge point to be erased.  He comes to help us when we are in the deepest need. In Christ there is always hope. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to be strong when people oppose me because I follow you.  Help me to always keep hope in you.  

Sending Us Into Harms Way

6“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:16-20)

Thoughts:  The sad thing is that Jesus knew he was sending his best friends and best followers out like sheep among the wolves- into harm's way.  Yet, the message of love and life was more important.  More than that Jesus knew that any hurt they would incur would be temporary and even rewarded- for after the cross is the resurrection.  If we do not fear death, because we know it is not the last word, we do not need to fear life.   Jesus told them to be on their guard.  It is not that they should lock the doors or hire security guards because people oppose them (though he may not be against such measures), but that they should guard their hearts and even expect trouble.  Jesus said, "In this world you will have tribulation- but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world."
     Jesus also wanted them to be witnesses to the worldly authorities.  They did not need to rehearse lines or be overly concerned because their lives and suffering was a witness.  Holding onto their faith alone is a huge witness- more than words.  But Jesus also promised that the Spirit would speak through them as vessels of God (cf. John 16:13).  The Spirit speaks- especially in times of crisis.  It is then when our souls are especially attuned to Him, and we may have words we know we couldn't find on our own.   

Prayer: Lord, when I face hard times and crosses- speak through me.  Help me to honor you and be faithful to you, Lord.  

Being Kind to God's Servants

 11Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (Matthew 10:11-15)

Thoughts: The disciples were to search for a person who would respond to the good news.  To welcome them is to welcome God and Christ.  To not welcome them and show hospitality is to reject Christ- which means God will reject them.  Too many think there are no consequences for being mean to God's servant.  Here the consequences are described in the harshest terms- judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah.   There is perhaps no stronger way to speak of destruction than this.  Being hospitable to God's servants and missionaries is being hospitable to God.  For some reason, we can easily talk about blessing and cursing about caring or not caring for the poor- the least of these as caring or not caring for Christ (Matthew 25).  So we are called to be hospitable to God and to His servants in His name. 

Prayer: Lord, give me an opportunity to be kind to those who serve you.  

The Kingdom Comes

5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,^a drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

9“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. (Matthew 10:5-10)

Thoughts: Jesus did not just say "Go and figure this out."  He gave instructions- but not as we might think.  There was a practical side- how much money, where to stay, what to do if you are rejected or accepted, and what to do when you get there.  But most of the lengthy- chapter-long instructions were about spiritual matters- blessing, praying, giving, healing.  In the church we can get all caught up in the organizing things and miss the heart- the spiritual things.  The church will not survive on human organizational skills alone very well.  Such skills may generate interest and meet needs but it will usually create a shallow and surface church.
     The message is not a typical church message.  It is that God is visiting- now.  There is an urgency to it- the kingdom is very near- around the corner.  Some scholars wax eloquent on how wrong this was.  They would point out that the kingdom didn't fully come.  But the King came- he was near, and the resurrection and Pentecost was an in-breaking of the new kingdom come.  The signs of the new kingdom was goodness winning over evil- the sick are healed; death is conquered by resurrection; the lepers are cleansed and the demons are fleeing.  The kingdom had already come to the disciples.  They had received it freely.  Ironically, Jesus wasn't talking just about money.  99% of the time this verse is used, it is referring to freely you have received [money] therefore freely give [money].  While a good case can be made that this applies to money as well- Jesus is basically talking about the kingdom being freely received and given.
      Then Jesus does talk about money and stuff in verses nine and ten.  He basically tells them to be dependent on God and not on their own saved up resources.  I remember hearing that the Air Force Academy guys are taught to survive in the woods on their own for weeks- learning what plants and roots are edible.  This is what Jesus is teaching his disciples.  They were learning that even if they lose all their stuff, they can still depend on God.   The people that they bring good news to are supposed to support them.  The worker is worthy of his keep.  God will provide for the disciples as they share the good news.  If they do not share the good news then they are not worthy of being kept.  When the kingdom is received and believed, the workers in that kingdom are seen as important and worthy of support.  Today religious leaders are criticized for having anything.  Jesus had little but he was not opposed to his followers being paid for their work.  

Prayer: Lord, may your kingdom come near me.  Bring healing, and hope beyond what I can see.   Help me to see your power and might and give myself fully to you.  Let me value your kingdom above my kingdom and trust that you will provide for my needs.  

Jesus Not Only Calls But Empowers

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Matthew 10:1-3)

Thoughts: Jesus calls people to follow Him.  But He doesn't just call them, He also equips them.  It is not just equipping, it is giving them authority.  Too often believers forget that God empowers us to fight wrong, to stand up to evil, and to help those who are weak and in need.  We do not do this in our own strength, and we do not do this for our own glory. When Jesus calls us, He gives us what we need to fulfill that calling.  If we are doing something for His glory, we trust in Him to make it happen.
      The names are remembered.  It is important to remember our heroes in the faith and to honor them.  But even these disciples were not perfect or super men.  They were fishermen, sinners, tax collectors, zealots, who were called, equipped, and empowered by Christ.  The world was changed  because they did not squelch this power or hide it.  Neither should we hide or squelch our gifts.

Prayer: Lord, let me believe in your call, your equipping and your empowerment.  Apart from you I can do nothing. But with you I can do all things.

The Beginning of Outreach

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:35-38)

Thoughts: While this passage comes at the end of chapter 9, it really begins a new shift or chapter in Matthew in which the disciples are taught to minister.  9:35 is almost the exact same as Matthew 4:30- a marker saying that a new stage of ministry in those places is happening.
   The passage really finds its heart in 9:36- Jesus saw the crowds and their needs.  They were like shepherdless sheep and like a field waiting for harvest with no one to bring it in.  Jesus did not just see bodies of people- he peered into their souls.  He saw their restlessness and their need to respond to God.  He sees the same today.  He sees our lack of peace and epidemic of depression and discontent- despite being in a consumer oriented world.  The drug and alcohol abuse of our day shows again a lack of peace. We need to see the needs of people around us too.   The Greek here for "harassed" is literally "wearied"; "Helpless" is literally "cast away."  Jesus wants to real us back in where we may be in the safe harbor of His peaceful love.
     The solution to a full harvest and not enough workers is not to go out and organize a leadership program with great goals.  It is to ask the Lord of the harvest for help.  He will call the right people in the right time in the right way.  In America, we are often quick to organize and slow to pray- acting like we are lord of the harvest.  Thursday is National Day of Prayer.  We should pray that God will raise up new and energetic leaders for His work to bear fruit for Him.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your compassion.  Have mercy and raise up workers in your vineyard- in your church.